Knights football squad getting in shape

Citizen photo by Michael Guerrera

Members of the Blue Knights football team work out at their season opening fall practice this past Monday, Aug. 24.

One week in and it’s already business as usual for Blue Knights football. With practice officially starting this past Monday, the Southington athletes showed no ill-effects of an offseason that saw the departure of three coaches and a closer look into the comings and goings of the Blue Knights’ program.

Now today, they get on a bus for Berkshire camp, looking to take another big step towards a successful football year.

“We’re in it full force right now; Frisbee Friday’s are over,” Brian Durbin, conditioning coach at the high school since 2004 and known as “The Colonel” for his military rank and rigorous ways, said when referring to fun games of Ultimate Frisbee played on Friday’s throughout the summer as an alternate way of conditioning.

This weekend’s trip is not only important as the last weekend kids have to focus on only football and not think about school, but it is also important as a means to create chemistry, an invaluable resource when on the field this fall.

However, the hard work started a while ago for many of the players.

Voluntary sessions were held throughout the summer for players to go to get and stay in shape for the year. Durbin was the leader and said “the turnout was pretty good.” In the four days leading up to Frisbee Fridays, the players would lift and run throughout the week. Two sessions were held, one in the morning at 6 a.m., and one in the afternoon, allowing everyone a chance to make them.

“The kids have been working; they’ve been working really hard,” Durbin said.

But with the coaching staff getting involved, the expectation would be for the team to take their work ethic to the next level. Durbin says they’re already there.

“They’ve been kicking it up all year long.”

With the logistics sorted, gear handed out, and “media day” done it’s all business. The players worked out in helmets on Monday, working on their arms and running. Tuesday was legs and agilities with an obstacle course, as they built back to sprints on Thursday.

“(We’ve got to) get them used to working again,” Durbin said, adding, “It’s really the kids that get themselves motivated and themselves going.”

However, with the heat finally maxing out, Durbin and the whole staff say they monitor the kids closely.

“We really do have to watch them closely because it’s easy to get overheated.”

The secret weapon, though, is someone unexpected.

“The parents do a tremendous job and my hats off to them,” Durbin explaining that they get the water and everything ready for the kids during the “dog days of summer.”

These early training sessions are especially important as Southington will be playing in the realigned CCC North conference this year and will have to face last year’s Class L runner-up, Newington, as well as Class L playoff finalist, Simsbury, and of course, usual foe, New Britain.